American Academy of Ophthalmology, Prevent Blindness Observe March as Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month

SAN FRANCISCO & CHICAGO—The
American Academy of Ophthalmology and
Prevent Blindness are marking March on their calendars for their annual observance of Workplace Eye Wellness Month, or Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month. Both organizations are offering information and resources on their websites to promote eye safety in the workplace and the prevention of occupational eye injuries.

According to a post on the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s eye health information website,
eyeSmart, 90 percent of serious eye injuries in the workplace, common causes of which include flying objects such as metal and glass, tools, particles, chemicals and any combination of these or other hazards, can be prevented with appropriate protective eyewear. To ensure proper protection, the Academy says, eye safety wear should be worn in hazardous conditions and be
OSHA-compliant and approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), indicating it is manufactured to meet the eye protection standards.

Prevent Blindness also has resources available, such as the Eye2Eye Zone, a peer-to-peer eye safety program for the workplace from Prevent Blindness sponsored by UVEX, which describes common causes of eye injuries, best defenses against eye injuries, when to protect eyes at work and what type of safety eyewear is available and should be worn, among other tips. The organization is also offering a fact sheet titled
“10 Ways to Prevent Occupational Eye Injuries” and a
Workplace Safety Quiz in the Eye Health & Safety
section of their website.